AN: Had this chapter finished roughly 6 days ago on the 21st, but unfortunately for me, Fanfiction went down, where I am, and I basically had no way to upload the chapter or even let you guys know what was going on.
It came back up on my end, seemingly working, about two days ago, while I've been quite busy with some more IRL stuff, and when I had a few minutes reprieve, I took the chance to type out an apology to you guys for yet another lateness, which was out of my hands, before hitting the upload button. It seemed to have worked, as the page did what it usually does, when you upload a chapter, so I didn't think to check my profile to make sure it'd actually gone up, before I went back to my other obligations that've kept me too busy to be on Fanfiction since.
Turns out, I should've checked, because clearly it bloody well didn't upload, and I had to find this out from a friend IRL, who reads the story too, when I asked him if he'd read the latest one. If you could've seen my face when he gave me an awkward smile, before saying, "What chapter? You still haven't updated it yet." I swear…
From now on, I think I'm officially done with giving clear, numerical dates, as it's obvious my bad luck streak continues, and I'm just going to end up embarrassing myself again, and pissing you guys off in the process. From now on, I'll just be more vague, like 'early insert-month-here' or something to that effect. Hopefully, that'll end up better for me, and for you guys too, because I'm sick of having to give out apologies, and I know a number of you are tired of having to hear them.
As for those of you who read my stuff on AO3, and are wondering why this didn't come out at the intended time there, you can blame that this time on my stubborn desire to have my content release on both platforms around the same time, if I can. A statement I'm aware comes across as funny, given I forgot to try and upload it two days ago on there, when I thought I'd done so already for Fanfiction, and had the chance. Brain fart moment there, sorry.
Finally, before this chapter begins, bit of a change of plans, as you no doubt know, if you've been keeping up with my profile. Decided to make the celebration sequence and the leadup to it, which this chapter is, a two-chapter deal, instead of one, as I originally had in mind, both before and when I started writing this. Because as I said in my profile, I began to feel like I had rushed through certain things a little while writing. This is my way of rectifying it.
Part 2 to this one, which will be the longer chapter of these two, will be out early next month, due to IRL, and given I had to cut 5K+ words from this one, which will end up in that one, likely with some readjustments, I hope to have it out within the first few days of July, but make no promises.
With all that out of the way, on with the chapter!
The Olympian God of Destruction:
Chapter 37: Aftermath III.
Shortly following the conversation on Othrys…
As the golden glow of teleportation faded from their bodies, Beerus and his brothers found themselves standing before the assorted group that made up the bulk of their allies, at the base of Mount Olympus, capturing their attention with their arrival.
"Well…" The god of destruction started, voice booming loud enough to reach everyone's ears, as he addressed those before him, face still smirking, with his arms crossed behind his back. "Apologies if I kept you all waiting, but as you've all probably realized by now, Kronos is gone for good and the war is over, with me – and the rest of you, of course –standing victorious."
As he spoke, Beerus couldn't help but take note of many of the expressions directed toward him, which came from Pan and all the lesser gods that'd joined his side on Olympus over a year ago. A mixture of shock and, to an extent, fear, coating their features and being visible in their eyes. The god of the wilds in particular, was sweating bullets over his temple, as he stared at him, with his remaining followers subconsciously taking a step back from him. All while the rest of the minor deities not associated with the goat-like god, but who felt similar to said god and his followers, were rooted to the spot at his presence. Almost as if they had been paralyzed.
Wow. I guess most of our companions took what our brother did to Kronos a lot worse than we did… Poseidon thought. His opinion internally mirrored by Zeus and Hades, as he looked upon the majority of gathered gods with a wince, as a sweat-drop fell over his temple. By Gaea's bosom, I've seen fish near the shore of Crete, back when I lived there, who gaped less stupidly than this…
"What's the matter? I thought you lot would be happy, knowing that the war has been won." The destroyer continued, his smirk not dropping in the slightest at all the gawping, for after his brothers had told him of their surprise at what he'd done to Kronos, he had a fair idea as to why the majority of his allies were currently like this towards him. "I thought there'd at least be cheers over such an occasion, and yet I'm being met with awkward silence?"
"Don't mind them! They simply don't know how to appreciate what you've just done, Lord Beerus!"
The destroyer god blinked at the rather peculiarly jubilant address using his former – and soon to be commonly used once again – title, as the sound of wings spreading out with a flap reached his ears, before the familiar figure of Bia, Styx' daughter, made herself known, as she suddenly landed much closer to him. The winged goddess planting herself in front of the others, and right in front of Beerus, just a couple of feet away from him, kneeling on one knee while zealously swinging an arm around her waist, all but slapping her hand against one of her breasts, as she gave a deep bow before him.
"I, on the other hand, do, Lord Beerus." The personified spirit of force continued with loud, forceful exuberance, as she looked up at him with nothing short of deep adulation and respect, as she held an almost manic smile that split across her face. "My mother couldn't have been more right about you. Allying to you and becoming your loyal subjects was the greatest decision we ever made! Your power, and the force behind your presence now, there's nothing like it! You are truly one of a kind, and I am overjoyed to call myself your faithful servant!"
Poseidon couldn't help but snort lowly at this, as he leaned in close to Hades, and spoke just loud enough for him, and Zeus, who was a little ahead, to hear. "Heh. Looks like someone's earned an admirer."
"Add her to the list." Hades, understanding what he meant, snorted back with a bit of humour, getting a suppressed laugh from his tan-skinned brother, and a low chuckle from Zeus.
Though Beerus also heard this interaction behind him, naturally, due to his good hearing, he chose to ignore it, as it wasn't even insulting.
That… and even he wasn't about to deny the 'admirer' part, given the way Styx' daughter was looking at him right now, which was certainly a change-up from what she'd been like around him before.
"Good grief. What am I going to do with you?" Beerus' eyes rose up from the kneeling goddess toward her sister, Nike, as he heard her groan out the words. The goddess of victory coming forward with her brothers Zelus and Kratos in tow, who both had looks of mirth to varying degrees at their more aggressive sibling's antics, all while Nike herself looked partially embarrassed, as she glared at her sister, before her gaze swept up to meet Beerus's. "Please excuse my sister's fervency, if it puts you off, Beerus. She's been in a mood ever since we all felt you destroy Kronos. A momentous feat that was a long-time coming, and which myself and my brothers whole-heartedly congratulate you on achieving, alongside ultimately winning the war."
"It's Lord Beerus, sister! Show him his proper respect, by using the title he has earned!" Bia snapped even louder than before, her head and glare shooting in her sister's direction, as she actually appeared offended on his behalf. Not terrified and doing everything to make sure he was pleased, like many a mortal had done, back in Universe 7, but genuinely offended, due to how much high regard she had for him now, in a positive manner. That was definitely new. "And while you're at it, kneel and bow before him to show deference, for after what he has done today, his presence demands no less!"
Nike just sighed, while Zelus barely contained a huge laugh and Kratos gave a rare chuckle of his own. Nonetheless, however, Nike did come to her sister's right, while her brothers went to her left, and while they didn't go the same distance as Bia did, kneeling over like they were ready to worship the ground he walked on, they all bowed before him in a definitive show of polite and submissive respect. Each with their own arm slung across like Bia's, with a hand planted upon the side of their chest where their divine hearts would be.
"Our dear sister's current zealousness aside, which is funny, given zeal is one of my domains, and yet I hold not even half the 'excitement' she has right now, she is not wrong when it comes to singing your praises. Nor is she wrong, I suppose, in that you have certainly earned the right to be called 'Lord' by us, your faithful subjects, if you wish it so." Zelus remarked, while looking up at the destroyer from his bow with a smile that said he'd obediently call him as such, if he said so. "After all, with Kronos slain and your power being on another level, there is nobody who could deny you your rightful place as ruler of the Universe."
Nobody, other than Metis, who had remained silent thus far in her position several hundred metres away from the brothers, noticed the way Zeus' expression became more strained, for a brief moment, as he heard that last bit.
"Indeed." Kratos intoned, looking up at Beerus as well, while still bowing. "You have made your mark now, and as promised by our mother, we shall follow your lead, as your loyal subjects."
Beerus' smirk broadened at all this, which seemed to signal to Bia that he was pleased with what they'd given, despite her siblings not doing precisely as she'd told them to, which appeared to be enough to sate her desire for him to be given his due respect.
And he was pleased. After all, this was more the kind of response he liked to see! "Your veneration is appreciated. And closer to what I'd expected of my allies when I came before them, then what I've ended up getting from most." He said to them, before his gaze shifted to the majority of other gathered gods for a second, his eyes glimmering less with annoyance, and more with amusement, when he saw many of them flinch at his words and stare, despite neither holding any actual ill-intent.
"They're still mostly in shock, over what you did to Kronos, Beerus." Turning his head, said god was met with Themis this time, who'd chosen that moment to materialize by his right, evidenced by the dissipating gold particles flying all around her. The Titan goddess now just a metre away from him, with her hands clasped by her pelvis and a cordial smile over her features. "Give them a bit of time, and I'm sure they'll recognise you're not going to turn your devastating power on them or anything like that, as you did for my younger brother, and come out of the stupor they're in."
"I'll have to concur with that sentiment from Themis, brother. Rude though it might be, you'll have to forgive them for their current awkwardness, as they're simply trying to recover still, from the feeling brought on them by your destruction of our father." Hestia's serene-sounding voice rang out next, confirming the destroyer's thoughts again, as she materialized by the Titaness' side in a shower of golden particles herself, bringing Beerus' gaze to her, as well as his younger brothers' too.
As soon as the purple-haired deity laid his eyes on her, this time around, his smirk did vanish when he saw the state of dress she was in, or lack thereof. Whatever greeting he might've had for her, and for Themis too, becoming caught in his throat, with his jaw almost going unhinged, as his eyeballs damn near bugged out of his skull in comical fashion at the sight of her naked form staring back at him in all its sublimely shapely splendour. All with only her arm and hand to help barely cover the front of her squished, E-cup breasts and her lower lips from his view, and maintain a sliver of modesty.
Oh, fuck me… Unlike his eldest brother, Zeus' jaw did firmly drop at the sight of his nude elder sister with widened eyes. At lightspeed then, and with unbelievable effort, given he knew he was in the close presence of his consort Metis, who he could feel the eyes of on him, he snapped his gaze away from her, before his ogling stare could become unbreakably locked on to her curvaceous frame. The young god never more glad he still had his tunic in-tact, along with a sliver of subtle magic added on, to hide the irksome, instantly growing erection he was sporting.
Urgh… I'm definitely going to have to get some carnal activity going with some Nymphs, after seeing this… Poseidon was much like Zeus, only without a consort of his own to act as an incentive to exercise a small degree of control, he openly stared at his sister, becoming much like the majority of assembled deities that gawped at his brother, just for obviously different reasons. The trident between his legs that he hadn't had fade away, quickly doing its own hardening and extending act that he barely managed to hide. The god that was now bonded to the sea not even entertaining the idea of coming on to Hestia, even with her current visage filling him with a sizeable lust, as he knew if he caused her any hassle, even if just through flirting, his eldest brother might well wring his neck for it.
Damn… I wasn't expecting that… Hades was easily the most controlled out of the three, but even he struggled somewhat at the sight of his eldest sister in the buff, and even then, that was mostly due to her covering her more private bits on her front from view, something that he realized fast would leave her back exposed. The next thing he realized, was the tingling sensation down by his crotch that was being followed by the slow, but steady growth of a certain appendage, and that had him whipping his gaze up firmly to her face and nothing else, as more colour than usual made itself known on his pale features. His jaw clenching, as he did his best – which he'd fully admit wasn't the greatest by any stretch – to keep himself looking calm and composed.
Thankfully for him, nobody paid him enough attention to notice such a struggle that was a first for him, as close to all the attention was squarely focused around Beerus.
Said god, caught with a sight he most certainly had not expected to see in the slightest, had to immediately fight down his body of this world's reaction, as he felt the ichor begin to circulate more between his legs in real time, and also felt a shiver pass through him, straightening his back."He-Hestia!" His voice cracked jocosely, almost mirroring the reactions he used to have to Zeno appearing, only it was from shock and a certain other emotion, that he had to fight down, rather than fear, as beads of sweat appeared on his face. "You… Nnrgh!..."
Teeth clenching, the god closed his eyes while shaking his head rapidly to dispel – or at least try to dispel – his traitorous body's attempt to inject certain thoughts about his naked sister – even if the assignment of her as his sister only applied in spirit – that he'd rather not have about her, due to how pure she was. A purity he didn't want to taint, even in his own mind, if he could.
That was something that he found hard to do, given his recognition of the fact, as silly as it would've been in his previous world, that they held effectively zero relation to each other, despite having the same parents. And with that in mind, a significant part of himself that was inwardly shouting at him how insanely cute she was, especially with her current lack of clothing, was increasingly difficult to silence.
All the same, Beerus forced back a small bit of his composure, after a moment, as he re-opened his eyes. The destroyer swiftly doing everything he could to not have his blasted eyes wandering anywhere but Hestia's face, as he addressed her. "What happened with you!?"
"Hmm?" The goddess blinked. "What do you… Oh…" Hestia blushed, as she recognised what he meant, making her a little more self-conscious, before she instinctively clutched her crotch and brought her thick thighs closer together, all while she wrapped her arm even tighter around her breasts to better conceal both areas.
That only drew more attention to them from Poseidon, and made it more difficult for Beerus to keep his treacherous eyes away from them, however, as she unintentionally struck a more provocative pose. Her boob flesh bulging out further around her forearm, while the hand, now sandwiched between her thighs as it cupped her goddess-hood, making it look, from a certain angle, she was doing a little more than simply hiding her nether regions from view.
"I… lost what remained of my tunic when I ascended." She finally said, after a somewhat embarrassed pause. "Apologies for having you see me in such a scandalous state, brother. In the excitement of all that was going on, I suppose I forgot to redress myself." Her cheeks flushed a little hotter, before the goddess' eyes flashed brightly with licks of golden fire, as she decided to flex her power in that moment.
Within the blink of an eye then, a new tunic, the same colour as her previous one, blazed into existence around her form, covering her up whilst she sent out an extra potent wave of calm that not only had her heart, which'd suddenly begun to beat faster in her chest calming down, but also greatly aided her twin brother. Her aura allowing him to regain significantly more of his composure than he'd otherwise have had, and more easily banish the less than wholesome thoughts still trying to take full root in his head.
It also helped her other, younger brothers, making it painfully easy in an instant, for Hades to look upon her without feeling even the slightest impulse toward gazing at her figure, even if she hadn't clothed herself.
Poseidon, while he didn't stop scrolling his eyes over her hour-glass figure right away, despite it being covered now, he did become a lot more discreet about it, as his inner lust became much more subdued, both from the aura, and the lack of skin now being put on display before him.
And as for Zeus, it also made his own carnal sensations far easier to wrestle down, allowing his expression to become much more relaxed, and with his ears picking up the rustle of clothing in the wind around her, he knew it was safe to glance over at her again.
What her aura did not get rid of, unfortunately, was the blush still present on her cheeks, nor the lingering sensations going on between Beerus and his brothers' legs, but as far as the former was concerned, much like with his younger siblings, that was now much easier to ignore.
It also didn't help her any with the Titaness next to her, who raised a bemused brow toward her at the reason she'd given for not covering up like this sooner, if she could. Because unless the younger goddess had just done a phenomenal job hiding such a flaw up to this point, and she was simply mistaken in her opinion, she couldn't recall the Olympian ever displaying such a forgetful disposition like that for anything. Especially for a lack of clothing she had clearly been aware of, given she'd actively covered her most private areas, outside of her round butt, from view with her appendages.
Hestia's expression gave away nothing to suggest that had been on purpose, instead showing nothing but a mix of self-consciousness, awkwardness and a hint of shame, which was certainly convincing enough to assert that she really had just made an innocent mistake. And yet, a part of the Titaness of divine law and order couldn't help but feel suspicion that, in this case, the goddess who was pretty much always honest, might've just told a cheeky little lie. One that she may, or may not, have been aware of herself.
Regardless of how she felt on Hestia's 'mistake', Themis ended up putting it on the backburner, as she turned her attention back to Beerus. "Leaving aside your sister's mishap," She started, garnering his attention again, and she couldn't help but get the feeling he was somewhat thankful to her for, as she went on. "how was it up there, for you? Annihilating my crooked brother from all existence, I mean."
"Elating." He responded with a returning grin. "Him being destroyed, by my hand, pleases me more than you will ever know."
"I'm fairly sure I have an idea." Themis couldn't help but smile a little wider. "You forget, I did live under his rule long before you were born, and have wished to be rid of him for some time, perhaps more so than our father, given all that Kronos did in recent times, before his demise."
"Speaking of your father." Beerus added. "He was rather quick to show up after Kronos' destruction, and appeared to be just as elated as I was. Understandable, given what was done to him, regardless of if he deserved it or not."
"He did deserve it. He deserved every last bit of what happened to him." The Titaness proclaimed without hesitation, and though her smile remained, her tone was colder than ice, as her clasped hands subconsciously clenched. "That moment so long ago, will forever be one of the few things I will ever agree with my little brother on, for the way he treated us."
"I understand that." He nodded, before he gave her a weird look that for some reason, she really didn't like. "And seeing as you've been loyal to me, and you've earned some of my respect, there's something I should tell you about him."
Raising a brow in curiosity, Themis couldn't help but ask, "And what would that be?"
"I'll reveal it to you later. Now's not the best time." Not when he knew what her reaction would likely be, anyway, and didn't want to be dealing with her on his ass about it, as understandable as that would be in this instance, when he wanted to enjoy himself with the celebration.
"…If you say so." She replied, after a small pause. Her curiousness having now doubled, based on her body language.
"By the way, before I go on," He added, before he forgot. "have you finally decided on how I can repay those favours I owe you?"
Blinking at this, the Titaness soon grinned almost surreptitiously, as they looked each other in the eye. "Actually, I have."
"Wonderful." Relief rested upon him, at his debt soon being dealt with, and no longer something that nagged at him.
"We can go over them later on, afteryou've told me what you need to, about my father."
And his relief was now partially ruined. "…Can't you just tell me them now?"
"Nope." She threw back, with a hint of cheekiness. "Seeing as you're going to be telling me something important to do with my father, otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned it, I'll let you know about them after you tell me it. It's only fair."
To you, maybe. Beerus' eyes narrowed. He couldn't get too annoyed with such a reply though, not just because of Hestia's calming influence, but also because he would've done the same thing, if their positions were reversed. Unless he'd come in, in a bad mood, that is, in which case, he likely would've just threatened destruction to get compliance. Whether it'd be a bluff or not, being entirely irrelevant.
"Very well, then." He sighed. At least they'd both be gotten out of the way around the same time, anyway. If things went south enough, and she wasn't cooperative, he could always just temporarily destroy what kept her from being calm, anyway, so that she would be. It was no real loss, with the versatility he knew he had, with his domain. "We can do it that way, if you wish."
She nodded back, all smiles at this, which was almost humorous, in a sense, given she'd be the exact opposite later, when he did drop Ouranos' request on her.
"So… what's the plan now, then?" Metis finally spoke up, having chosen that moment to make her way closer, now just a few metres behind Themis and Hestia, with her arms folded by her waist. "I presume you have at least a short-term one in-mind?"
"Oh, that we do, my dear." Zeus answered instead, choosing that time to materialize in a burst of gold flecks by her, and slinging his muscly arm around her shoulders, as he gave a wide grin down at the much shorter Oceanid. "Our first order of business, per my elder brother's word, will be us holding a proper celebration for our glorious victory this day, atop Olympus."
"We're celebrating before dealing with those we've defeated?" She asked, raising a brow as she glanced between Zeus and Beerus. "Are you certain that is wise? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that-"
"Doesn't seem like a good idea?" The silver-haired god finished for her. "They've been dealt with, don't worry. Beerus made sure those fools who were taken out by us today won't be waking up until he lets them."
"Ah, so that is what those purple lights were about! I thought I sensed Beerus' magic from them." Looking up, Beerus and the others were greeted by the sight of a smiling Prometheus, who was the one who'd spoke, descending from the sky, alongside his brother, Epimetheus, who sported a similar grin, and Styx, who threw a pleased smirk in both Beerus and her children's direction. The latter of which, sans Bia, had ceased their bowing.
There was one other among them, though, that took quite a few of the assembled gods by surprise, seeing her alongside the other three so willingly, and without any malicious or negative intent. And that was the Titaness Theia.
Beerus, of course, was not among those surprised, having sensed her continued consciousness earlier, and having suspected that a surrender could've possibly occurred, which now appeared to be confirmed.
His eyes hovered over her for all of a split-second, and it became obvious to him that her gaze was firmly locked on him, as she and the other three landed near them. And while he could still make out a hint of disdain in them, undoubtedly from what he'd done to Hyperion, mixed in with clear apprehension and fear, which he'd bet was brought about by his destruction of Kronos, was a degree of hope, funnily enough.
Unbeknownst to him or anyone else, at that same time, as they were all distracted, Zeus took that opportunity to cast his magic in a very subtle way upon the wind around him and Metis, before he leaned down to his consort's ear and began whispering something into it. His words, whatever they were, not being caught by anyone, other than Metis herself, who, while keeping her eyes locked on what was going on in front of her, listened intently to what he had to say.
"Don't mind us, everyone." Meanwhile, the 2nd generation Titan went on, with a hand raised and waving in peace, as he saw one too many of their own staring openly, and none-too-kindly, at the elder Titaness they'd brought back with them, before he turned to the destroyer with an easy-going, but respectful look, as he jutted a thumb in the Titaness' direction. "Especially her. Theia's friendly now. One of us. Even Styx will attest to that."
"She is." The eldest Oceanid added, without missing a beat, looking mainly at Beerus, as she said it. And her of all people saying that so genuinely, was enough to have all those who stared at Theia to whip their gazes to her in disbelief, wondering what the heck must've happened to get Styx to be in a pleasant mood around her, regardless of any apparent allegiance switch. Not hard to understand, given the vitriol that'd existed between the two, burning hotter than most fire, even just earlier today. "Proved it by taking down her own brother Krios for us, right before our eyes."
"Huh!?" That last statement definitely took virtually all of their side by surprise, even folks like Metis, and had more than a few minor gods and goddesses staring open-mouthed, not for the first time today, in a stunned state.
Even Beerus found himself surprised by that too, but also more intrigued than anything else, as his eyes turned back to her briefly with a somewhat curious smirk. "Fascinating. She didn't just surrender, but outright betrayed her own side, just to join us?"
The god of destruction was more than perceptive enough to catch the look of shame and guilt that washed over her features for the briefest of instants, as her eyes shot down to her feet. The Titaness almost resembling, in his eyes, at least, what he would describe as a child knowing she'd done something bad, something she didn't like doing, but was willing to face the consequences of it. So long as it meant she got a treat in return, which was evidenced by the way her expression became more resolute, even pushing back the apprehension and fear, in her eyes.
How curious.
"Indeed, she did." Styx replied for her, drawing Beerus' attention between them, as she grinned wide with pleasure at the whole situation, while glancing back at the Titaness, as she clasped her hands behind her. "She was smart enough to see that her side was going to lose, and rather than remain stubborn, like Krios did, she chose to take our side and proved her loyalty by stabbing her brother in the back, in order to save herself." The eldest Oceanid couldn't have possibly looked more gleeful, as she announced this. The vengeful, spiteful part of her clearly finding this quite entertaining, as she turned her sights back to the destroyer. "I wish you could've been there to see it, Beerus. I'm certain you would've found it rather amusing, to say the least."
"Perhaps." He didn't deny it, given that just hearing about it alone tickled him, though that was more down to the act itself being pulled, after all the shit she'd tried throwing their way, even as far back as the early days, where she and her dim husband got so easily tricked while chasing them. All that antagonism, all the threats and trash talk, being washed down the drain, just to save her ass when it became clear her side wouldn't be winning.
Well, that and he got the feeling she wanted something of him, based on the look she was still sporting. And that was an easier ask, if she was conveniently on the same side as him, no longer an enemy, and had even gone so far as to take down one of her former allies herself, just to get into his better graces.
Turning his gaze fully to the Titaness once more, Beerus simply shrugged, not caring for her presence either way. "Seeing as you're 'one of us' now, apparently, I'll be generous and leave you without a punishment, like the rest will be getting. Do try not to get any funny ideas though, because I assure you, I have no problem putting you in your place, in any number of ways, if you get uppity."
Flinching and taking a subconscious step back at the casual way in which he said that, and having more than a few bad images run through her mind, including, especially, the same fate that'd befallen her brother Kronos, Theia gulped involuntarily, as she met his stare. The Titan goddess feeling some anxious beads of sweat travelling down her temple, as she raised a placating hand toward him. "I-I understand. Rest assured I don't intend to attempt anything against you. For after what I've just bore witness to, of you, that would only be foolish. Especially given what I wish to ask of you… if you don't mind."
Yep. He was right on her wanting something, alright.
He'd give her credit for having the guts to try this, if nothing else.
"Maybe if you address him with the proper respect, he will!" Bia suddenly piped up again, as she appeared in a flash of gold by Theia's side, particles flying and fading away. Her expression once again fierce and intense, as she took the Titaness by surprise and grabbed on to her shoulders with both hands.
Unguarded and not having expected this, Theia almost instantly found herself being forcefully thrust down hard to her hands and knees, dirtying her skin and tunic in the process, as she very nearly cratered the ruined ground beneath her.
Beerus blinked at this, while Styx rose an inquisitive brow at her daughter, but otherwise did nothing to stop her, as she loomed over the 1st generation Titaness' now kneeling form. Most of the others simply watching on as well, not exactly sure how to react to this, while Nike face-palmed with another groan. Kratos and Zelus, meanwhile shook their heads, with the latter sporting an even more amused look than before, while the former was the same, but to a lesser degree.
"You will prostrate yourself before him and beg for what you desire of his grace, all while referring to him from now on, as Lord Beerus!" The winged goddess declared, her voice raised enough to reach all ears of the deities present, as she then grabbed the back of the surprised Titaness' head with a hand that gripped down like a vice, garnering a wince from Theia, as she was unceremoniously pushed downward. Her face being shoved and pressed down unto the dirt, with her tits partially being squished beneath her, as Bia's newfound fanaticism was laid bare, once again. "Anything less than a show of absolute reverence and humbleness before him makes it evident you don't take him as seriously as you should, and thus, are not worthy of his aid, whether he is willing to give it at this time or not!"
"Yep. She's an admirer, alright." Poseidon leaned in once again, this time with a sly grin, just to whisper in Hades' ear, putting extra emphasis and less than subtle connotation upon the word used to describe her, especially, as they both caught her sneaking a poorly hidden look in Beerus' direction. One that spoke of a lot more, than just deep respect and deference, on her part. "It appears as though our dear sisters will indeed have a bit more competition on their hands."
"I'll give her this, if nothing else." The ghostly pale-skinned deity replied with a perceptive gaze, and a similar, but more muted grin to that of his younger brother's. "She knows who to get heavy-handed with and who not to, given she never even attempted to give this kind of physical treatment to anyone else."
Picking this short interaction up once again, with his superb hearing, Beerus couldn't help but agree with his favourite brother on Bia's actions. She could've gotten just as aggressive as this with anyone else who'd spoken to or at him prior, but had actively chosen not to. Likely because she believed that doing so with those he had more of a positive relationship with, such as with Themis, Metis, Prometheus, and her mother Styx, was much more likely to earn his annoyance. Or, in Styx' case particularly, a potential ass-kicking for treating her like that as well.
If it had been one of his brothers, well, he could honestly say that he probably would've found either Zeus or Poseidon being forced into prostrating like this, presuming Bia could even pull that off, to be utterly hilarious and just taken it as a joke. For Hades, well, provided he didn't take it seriously, they could both probably have a laugh about it too, though even in that case, he'd still tell her not to do it again.
As for if she'd been bold enough – or dumb enough – to do this to Hestia… Well, the thought alone was enough to irritate him. If she'd actually done it, then she definitely would've earned his ire.
"Ergh!... Are you serious…!?" Theia grunted in small distress, as her more prideful nature kicked in, and she glared up at the daughter of her once most hated foe.
"Does it sound like I'm joking, Theia?" Bia shot back with a snarky, irritated tone, as she glared back and refused to let up on the force she was exerting down on her head, to keep her face pinned to the ground, while her hands pressed against it, with her knees almost pressed beneath her torso rather uncomfortably. And all in such a humiliating position. "Cast aside whatever useless pride you're somehow still clinging to, and show Lord Beerus your absolute deference!"
"I… Nngh!..." For a moment, it looked as though Theia was about ready to curse her, for this, but the Titaness, recognising her position, wisely held her tongue from doing so, as her face continued to be pushed down and further dirtied by the soil. The outrage in her eyes from being treated like this waning swiftly, as she broke her gaze away from the goddess of force, and just about managed to look up at the destroyer from her humbling place on the ground.
Gathering herself after another distressed grunt, instead of resisting, which could end bad for her, especially if it soured Kronos' destroyer on her, she did as was demanded of her, and pushed her budding flecks of pride to the side. For if she wanted to bring her brother-husband back to form, even if he hated her for a long time after submitting like this, she'd have to do what she could, to get the one god who could help him, to be more amiable with her.
"I…Ghgk!... I swear my undying loyalty to you, from this day forth, Lord Beerus!" She spoke aloud, and as clear as possible, addressing him with the title that Bia had referred to him with, with as much passion as she could muster, even as she tasted the dirt beneath her, in her mouth. Despite her dismay at that, she fought her disgust at that down, and continued on, knowing she had the purple-haired deity's full attention. "I… hrgk… humbly ask for your forgiveness, for my past actions, e-even though I may not be worthy of such… and respectfully request of you a-a favour… One which I'm more than willing to give whatever compensation I can afford, for it…!"
"Heh. Well, isn't this a sight to behold. You grovelling at my feet like this, just as I believe I predicted your brothers and nephew would too, before long, for getting in my way." Beerus chuckled, not even bothering to deny the fact to himself, that he got an added sense of satisfaction out of witnessing this. Not nearly as much as he had getting rid of Kronos, not even close, but it still felt good nonetheless.
Turning his gaze to Styx' fanatical daughter then, he took note of the adoring look she 'snuck' his way about as subtly as Hera and Demeter sparred each other, as he addressed her. "Alright, that's enough, Bia. I appreciate your little display, but you can let her go, now."
The winged goddess didn't hesitate to do as he asked, immediately standing rigid with her hands behind her back, just like he would do, while utterly failing to hide the beaming smile on her face from having her efforts acknowledged by him.
Styx actually giggled into her palm, as she saw this. The sheer pride her daughter showed at his words no doubt something she found quite adorable, coming from the most 'spirited' of her children.
"Puh!" Allowed to raise her head again, Theia spat out the bits of dirt that'd unfortunately gotten inside her maw, before wiping her lips with the back of her hand, as she sat up on her knees with a slight jiggle of her no longer compressed bosom. Her face smudged in several places with soil that clung to her skin even more than her tunic.
Glancing back at the seated Titaness, and seeing the flickers of hope in her eyes, after so sincerely submitting to him, he decided to throw her a bone, for adding to his good mood. "Given that I'm feeling gracious, at the moment, you can consider yourself forgiven. And as for that favour you mentioned, well, provided you have something good enough to give in return, and what you're asking for isn't something stupid, I suppose I have no issue with granting your request."
"R-Really!?" Despite her hopes, the Titaness looked stunned beyond belief at how quickly he'd agreed.
"Yes, really. What? Were you thinking I'd refuse? Perhaps I would have if I were in a worse mood, but thankfully for you, you couldn't have caught me at a better time to ask." He said earnestly, watching as the Titaness who was once his enemy, looked at him with a mixture of shock and bubbling glee, forgetting almost immediately about the humiliating spot Bia had put her through, as whatever she wished for, no doubt, was now much closer in sight. At least as far as she was concerned, anyway. "You may come to me about it after the celebration. Just be sure you're actually prepared to give the proper compensation for my help, and as I said, don't ask me for anything stupid, or else you can forget about making a deal like this again for a long time."
"Th-Thank you… Thank you, Lord Beerus!" The Titaness exclaimed with more gusto than before. Her excited words coming across even more genuine than the previous ones, as this time, she planted her hands down on the ground in front of her, and to the surprise of quite a number of gods, willingly bowed her head before him herself. The divine being still unable to fully believe it had been this easy, nor able to fully shake off her fear for the god before her, after what he'd done, but that wouldn't matter, if he reversed what he did to Hyperion and brought him back to her. "I promise, I will not let this opportunity go to waste!"
"Hmph. We'll see about that." Was all he commented with, as he turned away from the much happier sounding Titan goddess.
As he did, his gaze flew over Zeus and Metis, the former of which appeared to be leaning down with his head over latter's shoulder and had circled his arms around the smaller goddess' torso, all while she leaned in herself. The two looking like they were involved in some kind of lover's embrace, as the goddess' head partially turned toward his ear, and her hand gently touched and caressed his jaw and cheek in an affectionate manner, while she whispered about something to him.
While a part of him did find it odd that his ears weren't picking up what was being said, initially, he did immediately recall that Zeus had appeared to have control over the wind, during his, Poseidon's and Hades' bout with Atlas. It wasn't hard to imagine he could charm the wind or something to not have whatever was being spoken between the two, which most likely had to do with sex, given their current positions, not be broadcast to his ears. And that being the case, he was slightly grateful for that, as he'd rather not hear about how either planned to screw the other, in the future.
Pulling his eyes away from the couple in a blink, his gaze then floated over Hestia, who was giving him a proud, loving smile over what he'd just done, as if it was some big deal, even though it really wasn't. Heck, it wasn't even charitable, given he was set to get something in return for his assistance to the Titaness, and that was only if what she asked for wasn't something he found dumb, which was still very much possible.
Not that he was complaining about her looking at him like that though, of course. The brighter her smile, the better – and cuter – she looked, in his opinion.
Just as he turned fully toward, and was about to address the other assembled gods, most of which still gave him the same sort of fearful, shellshocked looks they had from the start, he and everyone else felt another presence teleport down to them.
And it was in that moment, that Hestia's influence on Beerus from the aura she'd expelled earlier also made it easier for him to more appropriately handle the pair of slim arms that suddenly slid past his shoulders and encircled around his chest from behind him. Flecks of gold flying past him, as an ample duo of soft, perky breasts suddenly squished against the back of his neck and head.
The destroyer's senses told him precisely who it was, without him even needing to see their face, as their presence was simply that distinct, at this point. "You certainly took your time coming down here to greet me." He said to the goddess behind him, before she could even utter a word herself. His tone tinted with slight intrigue. "I would've thought you, of all people, would have come down here as soon as I arrived, rather than wait until we were almost done down here with the preamble."
"My sincerest apologies, Beerus! It wasn't my intent to keep you waiting." The familiar, feminine voice of Demeter rang out, as she floated above the ground and hugged him close, pushing his head deeper into her bountiful bosom, which felt like wonderful pillows to Beerus' senses, comparable to how Hera's had been, with how he could imagine himself slumbering on them. And though he could hear the rustle of her tunic, it was as if it wasn't even there, with how he simply sunk into the blonde beauty's bodacious twins. "I was initially planning to stay up on Olympus and wait for you to come up, as I have some gifts that I've been making for you and wanted to surprise you with, to commemorate your and our victory today, but I simply couldn't hold myself back!"
His ears piqued at the mention of gifts, and suddenly, he was even more interested, especially hearing that she'd 'made' them. "Is that right? What kind of gifts?" He asked, as he turned his eyes up to her. "Are they the edible kind?" He couldn't help but add, as his mind went right back to the feast they were going to have, as part of the celebration. He'd waited long enough to sample this world's delicacies, after all.
"They are, actually!" She giggled, especially when she took notice of the fact that she now had Beerus' undivided attention. His rather delighted attention, in fact. "My new domains and the knowledge of their uses allowed me to start making some things that I'm sure you'll really like, brother."
"Heh. I like the confidence, but don't get too ahead of yourself now. Best not to get my hopes up too much, in case what you've made doesn't meet my expectations." Despite saying that, something told the destroyer that what she was cooking up with her divine power was by no means something that would disappoint his taste buds. And that feeling only had him wanting to get this preamble over with even faster, just so he could get to eating them, along with Ambrosia.
"Oh, believe me, Beerus. I'm positive what I've produced will satisfy you." She replied back, with a face that oozed perhaps more belief in her words and ability then he'd ever seen on her, which spoke volumes and only raised his expectations even further for the food. "Consider it my way of thanking you, for everything you've done for me, and I suppose for the others, too." Practically snuggling herself against his head, she continued with a vibrant joy. "You were amazing out there, by the way! Even though I knew you'd destroy Kronos, I can't even begin to describe the feeling you gave me when you rid this world of our rotten father… It was mesmerizing!"
"You found it mesmerizing, did you?" He chuckled, speaking more rhetorically than anything else, as he grinned up at her, still making no attempt to extricate himself from her. And he doubted he would've, even without Hestia's aura washing over him, before her arrival.
"Absolutely!" She nodded vigorously with a wide, beaming smile and a healthy blush across her cheeks, which only made her expression appear more lively and, dare he say, cute, even. "I could see the glow of your power from atop Olympus, as you ended him. Your light looked so beautiful, in its own unique way, that I couldn't have taken my eyes off of it, even if I'd wanted to. You had me completely enthralled, as you did us all a favour, in permanently taking Kronos down, Beerus." The blonde goddess then crooned. "I know you've had this said to you before, but you really are something else, brother. And honestly, I feel like-"
"Try not to get too excited, sister. Even the densest of us can sense the desperation gushing out of you, right now." Hera's more cynical voice chimed in snappily, cutting Demeter off, as she appeared in her own rush of golden flecks by Beerus' side, opposite her eldest sister and Themis, though closer than they were, with her hands mounted on her hips. The younger deity sending a potent glare her blonde sister's way, as her close presence pulled Beerus' gaze to her, momentarily.
Right away, her expression gave away how incredibly annoyed – if not, outright angered she was – as she practically bored a hole through Demeter's head with her eyes, while her lips were pulled down in a fine scowl.
The destroyer, as well as everyone else, also took immediate note of the fact that her tunic, particularly around the bottom end, was torn in places. Something he might've blamed on a fight she'd been in prior to her ascension, but he got the immediate sense that it had nothing to do with such.
Meanwhile, Demeter dutifully responded to this rude interruption by glaring back just as hard with a scowl at her younger sibling, before that was replaced with a cheeky smirk, as she tightened her hug on Beerus. The act sinking the back of his head just a little deeper into her pliable, perky mounds of flesh, which mushroomed out further around his head and inside her tunic, while affectionately resting her chin atop Beerus' head, in a manner one would argue a lover would to another.
"Ignore her, Beerus. She's just annoyed I left her in the dust and came down here first to compliment you for what you've done for us all." Demeter remarked, more to him than Hera, though that didn't stop her throwing a challenging look in her direction, before her eyes zipped back down to him. "That, and unlike me, she's much too full of herself to properly give you the praise you've earned anyway, so instead, she has to resort to throwing baseless insults at me to feel better about herself."
"Excuse me?" Hera's eyes narrowed dangerously. "First of all, I love how you leave out the fact that as soon as you and I noticed he was down here, you took me by surprise, setting up a barrier on Olympus' peak to block me from dematerializing or shapeshifting. All while proceeding to command one of your damned plants to ensnare me and keep me up there, while you rushed down here."
Well, that definitely explains her tunic, anyway. Beerus thought to himself with an inward snort, finding it humorous that the blonde would resort to such a tactic, just to get ahead of Hera on something like this, but at the same time, he had to give her props for the initiative.
"And second, just so we're clear, I have no issue with giving our brother his dues for what he accomplished today!" Her gaze then shifted more to Beerus, and in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, her cheeks tinted pink, and her expression swapped to one that the destroyer would swear on the Omni-King's robes, was one of self-consciousness and embarrassment. All before it snapped back to the less than kind visage from before, as she glared back up again, at the blonde. "J-Just as I have no issue doing the same for everyone else who also fought and did their part, who you've rather conveniently ignored. Because unlike you, I don't need to kiss his ass, just so I can feel validated when he gives me some scrap of his attention."
"See what I mean?" Demeter tutted, as if in disappointment, not letting the slight get to her. Not fully, anyway. "At this point, I'm starting to think this is how our little sister tries to make up for her lack of charm. Sadly, unless I'm mistaken, a rotten attitude like that won't get her anything good."
Plenty of gods who'd seen these two go at it before, especially Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, who appeared to have finished his private chat with Metis, all shared looks between each other, as they witnessed this transpire. The trio of brothers, in particular, instantly realizing what was going on right now, and as one, despite their differences in personalities, rolled their eyes in merriment at Hera's and Demeter's 'rivalry' that was coming out as subtly as a bad storm, at the minute.
By this point, Bia had materialized herself back beside her siblings, and had gone from beaming smiles, to intensely glaring up at Beerus' expression. The Daemon searching for any discomfort at Demeter's closeness, especially as she traded insults with Hera, so she had good reason to demonstrate her servitude yet again by separating them, so he didn't have to.
The disappointment she felt when no such discomfort showed, and instead, he looked relaxed and arguably somewhat pleased, despite the hostile energy between the two goddesses, she didn't even try to hide from her face.
Seeing this, Nike, who had glanced toward her while their brothers kept their attention on Beerus, all she could do was sigh again and pinch her eyes shut in exasperation, at how utterly hopeless her sister was, right now.
"Lack of charm?" Meanwhile, Hera scoffed at her older sister's words. "You're one to talk, when the most amount of 'charm' you've ever shown, is when you started emulating me by getting more aggressive." She bit out hotly, as she made to take a step forward. "And as for my so-called rotten-ahhrrmfhh!?"
Most deities, regardless of their thoughts and feelings before, found their eyes widening in surprise, as Hera suddenly 'tripped' over, falling flat on her face in the middle between Beerus and Demeter, and the children of Styx, directly into the dirt with a THUMP, which muffled her shocked scream. Her melons flattening like thick pancakes beneath her, against the ground, whilst her torn tunic rode high, as her ass stuck up in the air due to the nature of the fall. This leaving much of her lithe, curvaceously creamy legs exposed, and partially revealing her magnificently round rump to the closest onlookers.
A closer look by those nearest revealed the cause for such, to be what looked like a thick, greenish plant tendril, which had conveniently sprouted out of the ground from seemingly nothing, and was wrapped around the ankle of the foot she hadn't used to move forward. That, and the shallow trench Hera's foot had due, as it 'slipped' back.
"Oh dear, it looks like she's quite clumsy too." Demeter commented slyly and none-too-innocently. "Tripping over yourself like that… how embarrassing, sister. And you call me absent-minded."
…She really just made her fall over like that, didn't she? Was the collective thought of roughly every god who heard the blonde's tone, and had at least two braincells to rub together.
Beerus, in particular, had a part of him that found such an intentional move on the blonde's end genuinely funny, with how comically Hera had been planted down. Another part of him, which made it easier to resist the urge to let out a puff of laughter at the situation, was the part that remembered the kind of person the downed goddess was, and knew right away she was not going to take well to that. Especially not after an incident similar to this had taken place moments prior, before either goddess' showed themselves down here.
"Ignoring her, for the moment…" Demeter started, focusing her attention back on Beerus, even as an angry-red, violent-looking aura began to emerge over her younger sister's fallen form, which began to shake, as her fingers started to claw into the soil. A scene which instinctively had Styx' children, even Bia, backing away nervously.
It wasn't just them who reacted though, as Styx herself, alongside Prometheus and Epimetheus did the same, though less out of nervousness, and more out of recognition of an explosion coming quick and not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Theia being of a similar mind, as she rose back up and backed away, perhaps even more than they did.
It also had the sisters' other brothers, particularly Zeus and Poseidon, despite the view they could've gotten, sharing concerned glances with each other, as well as with Hades, Themis and Metis, as they all tensed. All of them waiting for the inevitable eruption that would be Mount Hera.
Demeter, paying no mind to any of this, went on like nothing was wrong. "As I was saying, before our baby sister rudely barged into the conversation, I've-"
Once again, however, she was cut off, this time by a shockwave of intense wind, which buffeted against everyone. The howling air rustling their tunics and blowing their hair back exuberantly, while forcing some to shield their faces with their arms, as the power of it pushed back the lesser gods. The stronger deities, meanwhile – with the exception of Beerus and Demeter, the latter clinging a little tighter to the former – having to dig their heels into the ground to stop themselves from being forced back, as Hera pushed her face and chest out of the dirt. Any bits of which that stuck to her features being blown away by the wind which now raced around her form, as her mounds of flesh quickly puffed back out into their usual, spherical shape with a light wobble.
"Oh, you've done it now!" She barked loudly, eyes glowing as red as her aura, as her lips peeled back in a snarl, and her teeth ground together in fury, as she quickly rose to her feet, with her tunic falling back down and fluttering wildly around her legs. Any semblance of her remaining composure gone in a heartbeat, as the tendril that had tripped her was sliced apart by the air under her control, and her deep-red, glowing eyes zoned in on her older sister with a look that spelt war. "First that trick you pulled on Olympus, and now this!?" The screech of the wind rose with her voice, as she stared daggers through the blonde. "You really want to play it that way, huh!? Fine, let's play it that way!"
Opening her hands, the wind gained a reddish hue, as it swirled around her palms, looking to be forming miniature tornadoes that, undoubtedly, could be manipulated to Hera's angered whims, and made as big as normal ones, but with far greater destructive yield.
Upon seeing this, Demeter's eyes also glowed a mix of green and brown, as she got ready to counter whatever her little sister threw, using her own domains.
Okay, I've let this go on long enough… Beerus, seeing this about to get way out of hand in a way he most certainly did not want to deal with, prepared himself to put an end to this from both, before things got ugly and possibly ruined his good mood, and before he even got to the real celebration where he tasted this world's finest delicacies, too!
In the end, Beerus didn't have to do anything, though, as Hera didn't get to finish what she was about to hurl at Demeter's face, before a golden pulse struck her, and everyone else in the vicinity.
This one, to those that'd felt the prior one but moments ago, to their surprise, was significantly more potent, and all but eradicated every bit of tension that both Hera and Demeter had, along with the other negative emotions they might've been feeling. Not to mention instantly sapped them both of the will to fight with the other, as pretty quickly, both their faces and their body language screamed a dangerous level of relaxation and calm, as their postures slackened to the extreme. Hera almost falling to her knees because of it, as the wind under her influence died out instantly, and Demeter almost sliding down Beerus' back, as her hold on him greatly weakened. The glow from both their eyes, and in Hera's case, her aura too, being snuffed out.
They weren't the only ones affected, of course, as Beerus himself couldn't recall a time he'd ever felt as reposed as he did, in that moment, with this power he knew all too well stacking on from its prior use. The aura filling him with a comforting warmth almost too strong to put into words, as his arms fell slack by his sides, and his head subconsciously pushed even deeper into Demeter's bulging breast-pillows. A rumble of pleasured contentment passing through him, as a part of him that he almost found himself agreeing with, felt the urge to close his eyes and take a nice, pleasant nap on the blonde's bosom before doing anything else.
His brothers, the sons of Iapetus, Styx and her children were in a similar state, with not even Bia being able to hold even a flicker of her prior intensity, if she'd tried to, as she and they melted beneath the touch of the familiar wave of gold, with soft groans escaped them all too.
Themis, Metis, Theia and the rest of the assembled gods weren't any different, with the first two each letting out a breath of tranquillity, as they were powerless to resist the second surge of this calming, comforting force, even if they'd wanted to.
Theia, meanwhile, now feeling this particular version of the potent aura passing through, felt what remained of her negative emotions become so greatly minimized, she couldn't even sense them anymore, as it felt like a warm blanket of comfort pressed all over her soul itself. The process almost making her eyes roll back, as she moaned and nearly fell to her knees again with a relieved, borderline enraptured quiver.
The remaining deities, meanwhile, either fell to the ground on their asses, in some cases, or stumbled about, barely catching themselves as all tension bled from their bodies, alongside all worry and fear, leaving behind nothing but blissful calm. And in Pan's case, he lost his nervous sweat and expression of multiple, negative emotions, in favour of a more peaceful one, as he exhaled a long, soothed breath. And though his concerns didn't fully vanish within him, their influence over him was burned down to a miniscule fraction of what it'd been, just a second before.
"That's enough, sisters!" Hestia called out, perhaps with a bit more authority than usual, as she stepped forward. The harmonious aura encompassing her body right now waving about like the gentle, but strong flame of a hearth, matching the deeper glow of her eyes, as she came closer and grabbed Beerus' hand with her smaller, daintier one.
His and her eyes met again, when she did, and in the destroyer's opinion, her shining pools had never looked as cute and wonderful, as they did now. The god giving no resistance when she gave a simple tug with her soft hand on his. Instead, getting her message, he chose to follow without further prompt, stepping forward and out of Demeter's loosened embrace, allowing the latter's previously squashed globes to bulge back out into their normal shape with their own jiggle.
Looking pleased at his cooperation, Hestia turned her attention back fully to her younger sisters, as she put on a light frown. "Hera, Demeter, if you're going to go at each other like this, though I'd much prefer if you didn't, could you please try to save it for later? I do not mean to offend, and apologise if I do, but we're just after witnessing the war that has consumed most of yours and my short lives up to now, finally come to an end. This should be a time of celebration, for all of us, not a chance for the two of you to be trying to antagonise each other, before getting into a petty fight that will accomplish nothing good. I don't ask much of you, but I plead with you now, for the time being, to cease acting like a pair of… of…!"
"Stupid, attention-craving bitches?" Poseidon proffered with a raised hand, his sister's aura seeming to make him give even less of a damn then usual, about poking the hornets' nest, that his other two sisters could become.
He was given a harsh, unamused glare from both, for his trouble, despite their eldest sister's powerful influence, and met them both back with a shrug. All while Hades shook his head with a chuckle at his antics, and Zeus, wisely, put a hand over his mouth to hide and smother the brief expulsion of air, as he snickered at his brother's sheer audacity. For even though they wouldn't be able to hear him, he knew his sisters could still see him laughing, if he did it without obfuscating.
The rest of those who'd heard his verbal slight, outside Hestia, either rolled their eyes at such crude verbiage, barely held back a laugh or gave a small, amused snort. Beerus being the latter, though he hid it well, using a hand over his mouth, quite like his youngest brother.
Aura fading, Hestia cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly, at Poseidon's suggestion. "Uhm… I'd prefer the use of something less crass, as that seems a little too strong, brother…"
You don't entirely disagree with it though, from the looks of it. Beerus couldn't help but think, almost snorting, as Hestia, not mean enough to use such an expletive herself, also didn't offer a kinder replacement, despite her words, which told him she was just trying to be polite about it in her admonishment, and not come across as hostile herself in any way.
He didn't mention this verbally though, nor the fact she hadn't let go of his hand yet, given he didn't mind the latter. Instead, what he did do, was take this opportunity to segue back to the topic he'd appeared before everyone to go over, in the first place. Something he was sure would go over extra smoothly, now that Hestia had effectively dropped the metaphorical and literal 'calm bomb' on everyone, and had sped up the process of the remaining deities being knocked out of the shocked and fearful stupor his destruction of Kronos had put them in.
"Alright, I think that's enough time spent on the preamble." The destroyer said with a raised voice, ensuring everyone could hear him, and that everyone's attention was on him. "Seeing as you lot already know what the plan for today is, which I hope you don't spoil the fun on, I'll just finish this little explanation off by letting you all know that the punishments for Kronos' allies, those who didn't defect, anyway, will be happening tomorrow. Is that understood?"
As soon as he'd seen enough nods of agreement, Beerus had to resist the urge, for now, to lick his lips in anticipation for the coming feast, as he looked up toward Olympus' summit. "Great. Now then, enough wasting time down here, because it's time to get the celebration underway!"
AND CUT!
That's the end of this one. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, at least to some extent, and I'll see you in the next one, in early July. After which, I think I'll put up a poll. I'm not gonna say what exactly the poll will be, other than it having to do with this story, and that it should be a fun one, I hope.